Electric plug receptacle



March 17, 1959 5, 555 2,878,457

ELECTRIC PLUG RECEPTACLE.

Filed Sept. 29. 1955 Thomas B. Weiss 7 INVENTOR.

oar/Hwy 3% United States Patent 2,878,457 ELECTRlC PLUG RECEP'I'A CLEThomas B. Weiss, Palo Alto, Calif. Application September 29, 1955,Serial No. 537,521 2 Claims. (Cl. 339 159) This invention relatesingeneral tonew and'useful improvements in electrical fixtures, andmorespecifically, to an improved electric plug receptacle.

In triple plug receptacles, plug apertures-are arranged directly opposedto each other; it has also been necessary for plug apertures to be inlongitudinal alignment which necessitates an elongated plug receptacle.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide anelectric plug receptacle which is constructed to holdthree plugs whereintwo pairs of the plug :apertures have entrances on. opposite sides andare offset so that to hold two plugs, the receptacle will not need to beany thicker than is usually needed for one plug, aperture entrancesfor-the third plug will be at a right angle and at a different level sothat third plug will cross over or under the other two plugs, the plugapertures and terminal contacts are thus arranged whereby the prongs ofplugs disposedhthe'rein Will- .be in cross-cross, yet staggered,relation, the receptacle will thereby be very compact, it will use aminimum of space and material and at the same time, it willassure'proper Contact for three plugs.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improvedelectrical plug receptacle which is so constructed whereby a single typeof contact terminal is utilized, the receptacle employing two identicalcontact terminals.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved electricplug receptacle which includes a housing having so arranged therein plugreceptacles and contact terminals whereby when the prongs of plugs areinserted into the housing, the plugs cooperate with each other to assurea proper contact of their prongs with the contact terminals.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the electric plug receptacle which is thesubject of this invention and shows the same with three plugs pluggedthereinto, the prongs of the plugs being shown in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the electric plug receptacle ofFigure l and shows further the arrangement of the prongs of the plug;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially upon theplane indicated by the section line 3-3 of Figure 2 on an enlarged scaleand shows the specific arrangement of the prongs of the plugs withrelation to the housing and one of the contact terminals of thereceptacle;

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view takensubstantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4-4 of Figure3 and shows the relationship ice 2 of a pair of prongs of two of theplugs with respect to the contact terminals; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the contactterminals.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that there isillustrated the electric plug receptacle which is the subject of thisinvention, the electric plug receptacle being referred to in general bythe reference numeral 10. The receptacle 10 includes a two-piece housing,12 formed in halves 14 and 16. The halves -14 and 16 are held togetherby suitable fasteners 18, as is best illustrated in Figure 4. While ithas been mentioned that a plurality of fasteners 18 are utilized, it isto be understood that one central fastener could be relied upon.

Formed in the housing 12 is a pair of recesses 20. The right hand endsof the recesses 20, as viewed in Figure 3, are communicated by atransverse recess 22 which terminates in a bore 24 opening into one endof the housing 12. It is to be understood that the recesses 20 are soconfigurated to conform generally to the outline of contact terminals 26disposed therein.

Referring now to Figure 5 in particular, it will be seen that each ofthe contact terminals 26, the two contact terminals 26 being identical,includes an elongated body portion 28 which is provided at one endthereof with an anchoring flap 30. The anchoring, flap 30 is providedwith notches 312 for receiving an end of a conductor 34.

Disposed at the end of the body portion 28 remote from the flap 30 is aguide 34. The guide 34 and the flap 3d are offset from the plane of thebody portion 28 in the same direction.

Extending normal to the body portion 28 adjacent the guide 34- anddepending downwardly therefrom is a guide 36. The guide 36 is set out ofthe plane of the body portion 28 in a direction opposite from the guide34. Disposed opposite the guide 36 and projecting out of the plane ofthe body portion 28 in the opposite direction is a terminal 38.

Disposed adjacent the flap 30 and projecting normal to the body portion28 is a guide 40 and a terminal 42, the position of these two beingreversed to that of the guide 36 in the terminal 38. The body portion 28also functions as a terminal in a manner to be set forth in more detailhereinafter.

Referring once again to Figure l in particular, it will be seen that thehousing 12 includes a pair of ends 44 and 46, and a pair of sides 48 and50. As was previously described, the conductors 34 extend through theends 46. Formed in the end 44 in alignment with the recesses 20 is apair of plug apertures 52. The plug apertures 52 receive prongs 54 of anelectric plug 56. The prongs 54 are guided into engagement with theterminal or body portion 28 by the guide 34, as is best illustrated inFigures 3 and 4.

Formed in the side 50 is a pair of plug apertures 58 which are alsodisposed in alignment with the recesses 20, but disposed transverselythereof. Seated in the plug apertures 58 are prongs 60 of an electricplug 62. The prongs 60 engage the guides 36 of the contact terminals 26and are urged into engagement with the terminals 38, as is best shown inFigure 3.

Formed in the side 48 in longitudinally spaced relation with respect tothe plug apertures 58, are plug apertures 64. The plug apertures 64 arenormal to and intersect the recesses 20. Received in the plug apertures64 are prongs 66 of an electric plug 68. The plug prongs 66 are guidedinto position with respect to the contact terminals 26 by means of theguides 40 and are urged into engagement with the terminals 42, as isbest illustrated in Figure 4.

From the foregoing description of the electric plug receptacle and therelationship of the prongs of the plugs" 56, 62 and 68 with respectthereto, it' will be readily apparent that the receptacle is so formedwhereby all of the prongs of the previous plug are disposed in fullengagement with the contact terminals 26 to provide a complete contactand at the same time, they cooperate with each other to retain suchengagement. Further, it is to be noted that the prongs 54 are disposedin generally intersecting relation with respect to the prongs 60 and 66so as to occupy a minimum space. In view of this, there has been deviseda relatively compact receptacle. for electric plugs which willaccommodate three electric plugs and which at the same time provides theproper contact between the prongs of the plugs and the contact terminalsthereof.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed. and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An electrical plug receptacle assembly comprising an electric plugreceptacle and three plugs of the type each of which includes a pair ofprongs, said electrical plug receptacle including a longitudinallyelongated housing, spaced parallel conductor strips mounted in saidhousing and extending longitudinally thereof, said housing having sidesand ends, three pairs of plug apertures formed in said housing, twopairs of said plug apertures being disposed in transverse parallelrelation and opening through said sides of said housing, said two pairsof plug apertures having entrances opening in opposite directions, thethird pair of said apertures being disposed at right angles to said twopairs of plug apertures and opening through one end of said housing intosaid two pairs of plug apertures, said third pair of plug apertureslying in planes oflfset from the planes of said-two pairs of plug v 4apertures, said apertures of said two pairs of plug apertures beingaligned with first surfaces of said conductor strips, prongs of two ofsaid plugs being disposed in said apertures of said two pairs of plugapertures and engaging said first surfaces of said conductor strips,said apertures of said third pair of plug apertures being aligned withopposite surfaces of said conductor strips, and prongs of the third oneof said plugs being disposed in said third pair of plug apertures, saidprongs of said third plug transversely'crossing said prongs of one ofsaid two plugs and transversely overlying said prongs of the other ofsaid two plugs and engaging said opposite surfaces of said conductorstrips.

2. An electrical plug receptacle comprising a longitudinally elongatedhousing; spaced parallel conductor strips mounted in said housing andextending longitudinally thereof, said housing including sides and ends,three pairs of plug apertures formed in said housing, two pairs of saidplug apertures being disposed in transverse parallel relation andopening through said sides of said housing, said two pairs of plugapertures having entrances opening in opposite directions, the thirdpair of said apertures being disposed at right angles to said two pairsof plug apertures and opening through one of said housing ends into saidtwo pairs of plug apertures, said third pair of plug apertures lying inplanes offset from the planes of said two pairs of plug apertures, saidapertures of said two pairs of plug apertures being aligned with firstsurfaces of said conductor strips, said apertures of said third pair ofplug apertures being aligned with opposite surfaces of said conductorstrips whereby prongs of plugs disposed in said third pair of plugapertures may transversely cross prongs of plugs disposed in said twopairs of apertures.

References Clted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,875,219 Clemence Aug. 30, 1932 1,941,488 Propp Jan. 2, 1934 2,141,790Keddy et al Dec. 27, 1938 2,714,713 Parajon ;Aug. 2, 1955

